Letters to the Editor

Use Convent lawn for school courts A Chara, Tuam Town Councillors have always been courageous and honorable in defending and protecting any attempts by Galway County Council to disrupt the natural beauty of the Palace Grounds with developments.[private] We now call on them to be just as resolute in stopping at base any attempt to tear up an acre of ground for unnecessary games pitches. The three parties pursuing this venture, Presentation College, Joe O'Toole and Galway County Council, should be told to sort things out among themselves and not be using the Palace Grounds as a scapegoat. If this goes through, what is now an acre will be two or three acres in a few years' time. Besides this, the convent has nearly an acre of green inside the school complex running alongside the river, so why not replace the tennis and basketball courts there? From my own observations these same courts are left idle except when a few locals play harmless tennis during the summer. The courts are rusting away, just like the one near the playground. The Council told us that their all-weather pitch project was over and done with, and the money gone elsewhere. Now it's back again in a sneaky opportunist way. When the amalgamation of the schools comes about, all this convent area could be sold for development. Finally, our small watchdog group is not anti-progress. When the new road design was on view we raised no objections. Mise le meas, Maitias O Gormaile Runaí Palace Grounds Committee Fearann Buird Tuaim New student grant system is better Dear Editor, Senator Fidelma Healy-Eames is absolutely correct in calling for much needed reform to the student maintenance grant system. The Student Support Bill will finally deliver what students and parents have been calling for in the past number of years â€â€ a system that works. The Galway councillors who recently derided the proposed reformed, efficient and cost-effective system need to get their priorities in order. The students and parents of Galway do not care where the system is located as long as it works. The current system of 66 awarding bodies for the same grant does not work, with many students facing undue delays in receiving their grant causing much anxiety for families. Within the Bill, the addition of new avenues for appeal (in fact there will be two) do not exist in the current process. It would also make redundant any need for local representatives to 'make representations' on behalf of an applicant. It guarantees families a timeline on when they can expect notification and awarding of their grant and put an end to a situation where grants from Galway County Council and Galway VEC are delivered to students at different times. Finally, Cllr Carmel Greally stated that the processing of grants 'must not be done in some office where nobody knows anybody'. I was aghast to read this as it should make no difference in an office that implements a legislative process, carries out ministerial orders and uses exchequer funds, whether the student or family applying knows anyone in the office. It is this very cronyism that has disenfranchised the Irish public and I am very disappointed that an elected councillor would make this case to continue with the current and dysfunctional system. Yours etc, Peter Mannion Ballydotia Belclare Tuam â€ËœShop local' when voting Dear Editor, The much expected national election cannot come fast enough. Everyone is waiting to cast their vote and harnmer home their opinion in light of the national circumstances. The constant repetition and recitation of the mistakes that have been made by the present coalition government and examined by the media will undoubtedly change the representatives of the next government. It is time for change and everyone who has previously accepted that no change is possible should reconsider the value of their vote. Living without changing the circumstances of life in Ireland is no longer an option. It can be calculated that when party political survival seemingly takes precedence of importance over the needs of the national interest, it is time for a definite change. It is obvious that no leader wants to be ousted and then remain in memory that he was jilted by his own party, it would allow for the public perception to be ascertained that no one has any faith in the leader's abilities to resolve the national crisis, while entertaining the carnivorous activities of the present banlling system. Everyone is anticipating the outcome of the national election and most are looking forward to the, albeit new, confidence in the next government. Regardless of the national implications that will provide a change in local communities, it should be remembered that Tuam as an area, can secure two seats at the national table, if the evasive electorate can accept that we need to be putting structures in place that will at the very least secure the townspeople a local voice and representation at national level. Tuam is now at the point of receiving delivery of its major development programmes and the community needs its representation to be renewed. I believe that we cannot allow ourselves the opinion that things will continue as they started. The reality of the next election provides Tuam with our first opportumty at the foot of the national recession to safeguard the interests of the community. It is obvious that the positive changes that appear in the areas of the newly elected, provides evidence that supports the opinion that we should all shop local at the carnival of the forth coming election. Thanking you, Yours faithfully Cllr Owen Ward Tuam Lovely story of Elliott, the three-legged dog Dear Editor, I read with great delight the lovely story in your newspaper of Thursday December 23 regarding Elliott the three-legged dog. As the ISPCA see an ever increasing number of cruelty cases it is always heartening to read about the cases of kindness and care. No doubt the majority of people love and care for their animals but unfortunately the cases of cruelty and neglect continue to rise. Could you please pass on the thanks and good wishes from all of us at the ISPCA to Nick, Liz and Cillian and they would be most welcome to visit our centre here in Longford at any time to look around (and perhaps consider a companion for Elliott!). Thanks also to you and your staff for the great work. Kind regards, Noel Griffin CEO ISPCA Derryglogher Lodge Keenagh Co. Longford Thanks from GOAL Dear Editor, On behalf of everyone at GOAL, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Irish people for the magnificent support they gave us throughout 2010. During the past 12 months GOAL was able to respond to major humanitarian tragedies in Haiti, Pakistan and Niger, without having to reduce our operations in any of the other nine developing world countries where we are working to help the poorest of the poor. It was the inherent generosity of the Irish people, both of spirit and in material terms, that allowed us to do this. I want to wish everyone in Ireland a happy and peaceful New Year. It is in their name that GOAL continues striving to help the bereft, the poverty-stricken and the downtrodden of the developing world. Yours sincerely, John O'Shea GOAL PO BOX 19 Dun Laoghaire Co Dublin 01 280 9779[/private]